One of the great ironies of Doctor Who is that the one episode that most people tend to watch – the big, broad appeal Christmas special – is often the least inspiring. I am still haunted by the year, for instance, in which my uncle, baffled by one particularly saccharine special, turned to me and said, “do you actually watch this?”
Written by ex-showrunner Steven Moffat – best known for his superlative stories “Boom” and “Blink” – it is a dizzying barrage of smart, funny, interesting ideas, a showing of the kind of creative genius that scratches an itch deep in your brain.
The Christmas special is written by Steven Moffat (Photo: Lara Cornell/BBC Studios)
The Doctor noticed a mysterious man in the lobby carrying a briefcase that was handcuffed to his wrist. As it turned out, however, the man was not carrying the briefcase – the briefcase was carrying him. It was some sort of AI parasite, taking over one host after another (killing them in the process) in the hope that it would be carried up to a special room on the top floor – a portal to one of Earth’s earliest points in history.
The All Creatures Great and Small Christmas Special is comfort TV perfection
Read MoreIt was soon revealed that the case contained the seeds of a star. It would take millions of years for the star to bloom, so a shady corporation was using possessed hosts like Joy to sneak the case back in time to speed things up.
Cue a delightful vignette in which the Doctor took a job as a handyman at a hotel (“is this armed?!” he screams at a Dalek-like plunger) and struck up a beautiful friendship with manager Anita (Steph de Whalley). The charismatic Gatwa was terrific here as a Doctor learning to live one day at a time – a poignant mediation on slowing down and appreciating the people that make life worth living.
Despite her name, Joy’s storyline was full of tragedy (Photo: BBC Studios/James Pardon)It was a jarring twist – a bracing splash of reality – but Coughlan sold Joy’s grief and anger (notably at following the rules while others partied) marvellously. Some may find it crass, but I’m sure it will resonate with millions. After all, Christmas is a time for reckoning with loss, with the empty space at the dinner table.
Proof, as if it was needed, that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Doctor Who.
Doctor Who is streaming on BBC iPlayer
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